Williams on his Liverpool whirlwind: 'It was dream after dream come true'

For Rhys Williams it was a whirlwind. ‘Dream after dream come true,’ as he puts it, looking back on that crazy season at Liverpool.

Back in 2020, with the world still gripped by Covid and football being played behind-closed-doors, the 19-year-old was thrust into the limelight due to a defensive injury crisis at the club.

Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were all injured, and as the campaign headed to its climax, Jurgen Klopp turned to Williams to help carry them through.

And he excelled, starring in wins over Tottenham and Manchester United – and helping the club grind their way into an unlikely top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League alongside centre-back partner Nat Phillips.

“For the fans it was definitely the win at Old Trafford,” Williams tells Sky Sports, as he reflects on the best moments from that crazy period.

“But on a personal note I’d say playing against Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son on my Premier League debut at Tottenham and winning there.

“That year for me was just dream after dream come true. Things always come up on my phone as a reminder, like the Champions League win at Atalanta.

“And that’s what I want to get back to.”

He was still just a youngster turning 20 at the time. The season before he had been on loan at Kidderminster Harriers in the National League North.

He then made his debut in the Carabao Cup alongside Virgil van Dijk in September 2020, before featuring in every Champions League group game either as a starter or from the bench.

But it was later in the campaign where things really ramped up. There was the Premier League debut at Spurs, and then an acceptance from manager Jurgen Klopp that his makeshift centre-back partnership of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson wasn’t working.

The German turned back to Phillips and then Williams. Five wins on the bounce at the end of the season, including a 4-2 win at Old Trafford and three clean sheets, saw the duo become an unlikely cult pairing at Anfield.

“I didn’t think in my wildest expectations I was going to come back and get thrust into the limelight like that,” admits Williams.

“I didn’t really have much time to think about what was going on, and that made it a bit easier.

“I was playing with elite players, one of the best teams in the world.

“So going into it, being so young, I don’t think expectations of me were that high.

“It was a roller coaster of a journey, but I took every minute and thing I could have taken from it, and I try and use what I learned to this day.

“Those last five Premier League games, the gaffer brought me and Nat together. I felt a little more pressure then because there was a bit of weight on our shoulders to go in and perform and try and get us into the top four.

“But just knowing that the manager and a team like that were able to trust me, it gave me so much confidence in my ability to go out and do the job that was needed of me.”

Williams lights up when he speaks about Klopp, as so many who have worked under him do.

“He was always there to put an arm around you and make you feel involved – even if you were on the bench or not playing,” he says

“His man-management is what made him a top coach, alongside all the other things. There was never anyone who felt like they were outside of the group.

“So for a young lad coming into such a big stage it helped so much knowing he trusted me and had my back no matter what.”

The defender also has praise for the managers he worked under in his time at non-league level at Kidderminster for giving him the chance to play some senior football.

Without them, and without that time, what he did at Liverpool would now have been possible.

“The managers I had there like Russ Penn, Jimmy Shan and John Pemberton, they all helped give me the platform to make those mistakes and learn from them, and go and play against men every week,” Williams reflects.

“That put me in good stead. If I hadn’t had that experience it would have been a much tougher time back at Liverpool.”

His career since has not been smooth sailing. Williams admits that himself.

Liverpool’s first-choice centre-backs returned for the following season, and he was sent out on loan for experience. But four separate spells at different clubs in leagues in England and Scotland did not work out, with injuries also blighting his progression.

Now, he finds himself back as a regular on another loan spell at Morecambe, a club currently bottom of the entire football pyramid, 24th in League Two. When you consider Liverpool are top of the Premier League, he could hardly be further away.

But Williams is just pleased to be playing again. The level does not matter to him, even if it’s a far cry from Old Trafford, Tottenham and Champions League away days.

“There are always ups and downs in football, but the main thing you want to do is just be able to play,” he says.

“I’ve gone from being at Liverpool and playing to suffering from injuries and stuff. But as long as I’m on the grass I’m happy. It doesn’t matter the level.

“Playing is what I love doing. When I step over that white line there’s nothing else on my mind.

“The gaffer here has put his trust in me and I’ve been given the chance to play again, which is the main thing for me this season.

“Even though we’ve had some results we’ve probably not deserved the fans have stuck with us and been really supportive. I’m really enjoying it so far.”

With the level he has shown in the past, Williams would hope he can get back close to it again one day.

There will be plenty of interested observers at Anfield and beyond, to see if he can.

“Last season was a struggle with injuries,” he says. “So I just need to get as many games as I can this season, to stay fit and then see what the future brings.”